The black fly (Simulidae) is an ubiquitous pest which inhabits a wide variety of aquatic habitats. These pests are a nuisance since they often bite livestock, poultry and man. They are known to transmit pathogens such as filarial nematodes, viruses and avian protozoan parasites.
Typically, the larvae of the black fly can be found in and around aquatic habitats such as fast and slow flowing streams, shallow ponds or standing water sources during certain times of the year. The larvae attach to various substrates in the aquatic habitat such as logs and rocks where after a period of time, they pupate and eventually hatch.
A variety of pesticides have been used to control black flies and other similar pests. While many of these pesticides are arguably effective, they exhibit undesirable environmental effects including toxicity to non-target aquatic species which renders them unacceptable for widespread use. Applicants have discovered a process for controlling the black fly population utilizing low aqueous concentrations of nonionic ethoxylated surfactants, specifically detergent range ethoxylated alcohols, which biodegrade rapidly to carbon dioxide and water thereby making them compatible with the environment.
Various processes for controlling an assortment of pests exist in which surfactants are utilized in combination with active pesticides for the control or elimination of such pests. The surfactants in these processes are not utilized as active pesticides but are instead utilized as diluents, carrier materials, adjuvants, foam causing ingredients, wetting agents, dispersing agents and emulsifying agents. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,623,540; 4,822,613; 5,037,653; 5,078,782; 4,470,966; 5,145,604; 4,853,223; 4,424,642; 4,889,710; 5,094,853; 5,116,618; 4,816,256; 4,818,534; 4,983,390; and 4,985,251 for patents in which surfactants are utilized. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 4,160,033 describes a process in which a surfactant is utilized to affect surface tension by drowning mosquito larvae and pupae.
In the present process, it has been found that the particular ethoxylated surfactant utilized, a detergent range ethoxylated alcohol, acts as the sole active component for preventing black fly larvae from pupating and maturing. These ethoxylated surfactants provide pesticidal selectivity when used in the amounts specified without producing undesirable effects in mammals or aquatic species.